Whiffletree



HAAS, WHIFFLETREB (No Model.)

No. 487,264. Patented Dec. 6, 18-92.

SAMUEL H. HAAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WHIFFLETREE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 487,264, dated December6, 1892.

Application filed February 27, 1892. Serial No. 422,964 (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HENRY HAAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have in- Vented certain new and usefulImprovements in VVhiffletrees, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates in general to whittletrees, and more particularlyto the construction, arrangement, and operation of the parts of thecouplings or irons for connecting singletrees to a draft-bar and ofhooks for connecting traces to singletrees.

The principal objects of my invention are. first, to provide a neat,compact, durable, and strong double or single whiffletree; second, toprovide a comparatively-inexpensive coupling for detachably connectingthe singletrees to the draft-bar, so that adjacent ends of traces mayswing above and clear of the draft-bar and in such manner that thesingletrees cannot become accidentally detached from the draft-bar, and,third, to simplify the construction of the singletree-hooks, so that thesame are rendered less expensive to manufacture and far more durable andreliable in use.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a detachable couplingfor connecting a draft-bar and singletree, which comprises a cap adaptedto be fitted over the end of the draft-bar and having atransversely-ranging socket located at the rear and provided with alongitudinal recess or slot and a bushing provided at the rear with aneye and with a pintle having a lug on the rear side adapted.

to slide through said slot and engage the under side of the socket andhaving an inclined bore adapted for the reception of the center of thesingletree, whereby the ends of the traces that are attached to theinner ends of the singletrees are caused to swing above and clear of thedraft-bar.

My invention further consists of a singletree-hook having a solid shankprovidedwith a stop-pin and with a gravity-pawl pivoted to one sidethereof, the construction being such that when the pawl engages thestop-pin the hook is closed; and my invention further consists of theimprovements hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and objects of my invention will be more fully understoodfrom the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of a doubletrce embodying features of myin vention andshowing the inner or adjacent ends of the singletrees adapted to swingabove and clear of the doubletree. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer end of the draft-bar,showing a singletree detachably connected therewith by means of acoupling or iron embodying features of my invention. Fig. 4is a detachedviewof the coupling or iron illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the slottedorrecessed socket adapted for the reception of apintle provided with alug. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a singletree-hook embodyingfeatures of my invention and provided with a ring adapted to be fittedonto the singletree. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same, showing ascrew adapted to be inserted into the end of a singletree, and Fig. 7 isa sectional view showing a singletree detachably connected with adraft-bar by means of the hook illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the drawings, a is a draft-bar provided at or near the center thereofwith a ring 0,, adapted to be connected with a cart, carriage, plow, orother vehicle in the usual or in any other preferred manner.

I) are singletrees centrally pivoted to the respective extremities ofthe draft-bar a and adapted to be connected with traces forming part ofthe harness of animals constituting a team. Each of the singletrees b isdetachably connected with the draft-bar a by means of an iron orcoupling 0. This coupling 0 comprises a cap 0, fitted over the end ofthe draft-bar a and having a transversely-ranging socket 0 located atthe rear thereof and provided with a longitudinal slot 0 and a bushing(1, provided at the rear with a pintle d, having a lug d projectingradially from the rear side of the pintle. The two members (3 and d ofthis coupling may be connected together by turning the singletree insuch manner that the lug (Z and slot 0 are brought into alignment, asshown in Fig. 4, and then fitting the pintle (1' into its socket 0 Thesingletree b is then turned into position for use. as shown in Fig. 3,whereby the lug d is caused to engage with the under- Sid'GfOfthe socketc Thus it will be seen that the singletree b is afforded the requiredfreedom of swinging motion for accommodating the alternating motion ofthe shoulders of a horse or other animal, and is also prevented frombecoming accidentally detached when in use from the draft-bar a.However, the singletrees I) may be readily detached from the draft-bara, whenever it becomes necessary or desirable so to do, by the simpleoperation of turning them into the position shown in Fig; 4E and thenlifting them up and off from the draft-bar a.

It is important that the ends of the traces that are attached to theadjacentor the inner ends of the respective singletrees should swingabove and clear, of the draft-bar (1; otherwise the traces would byabrasion injure the draft-bar a. The avoidance of such serious andobjectionable results is accomplished according to my invention byproviding the bushing cl with an inclined bore 01 for the reception ofthe central portion of the singletree, so that the latter is inclined tothe draft-bar, as shown in Fig. 1, thus affording an ample space, as ata between the adjacent traces and the draft-bar. In the present instancethe required inclination of the bore d is attained by making the bottomplate d of bushing d wedge-shapedthat is, thicker at 61 than at d, asshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. However, if preferred, the bottomplate may be of a uniform thickness and the top plate may be madewedge-shaped.

d is an eye projecting from the rear portion of the bushing OZ andadapted for attachment to a cart, plow, or other vehicle when thesingletree b is employed for a single team.

bar a, the eye (1 may be connected with a chain or strap 6 for limitingthe swing of'the draft-bar ct. Of course the eye d and chain e may beconnected together by means of a variety of well-known appliances; but,however, in the present instance a hook f, embodying features of myinvention, is employed. This hook f, Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7, has a solidintegral shank f and is provided with a stop-pin f f is a pawl pivotedto the side of the shank f and provided with a latch f for opening thehook and with a weighted handle f for normally causing the latch f toclose the hook and for permitting of the manual opening of the same. I

The shank f of the hook fmay be provided with a ring f adapted to befitted over or onto the end of a singletree, asshown in Figs. 1, 2, and3, or the shank f of the hook f may be provided with a screw J, as shownin Fig. 6, adapted to be screwed into the end of a singletree. In eithercase the bill of the hook may be inserted into an eye or aperture in theend of the trace in the usual manner, it being understood that thegravity-pawl f is turned during the operation and returns: againautomatically into contact with thestop-pin f after the hook f'hasbeeninserted into the trace, and thus causes the latch f to close the hookand prevent the trace from becoming accidentally detached. Thehook fmay, however, be opened by shifting the latch f in the directionindicated by the arrow in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the trace may bereadily removed.

Although the hereinabove-described hook is especially adapted for use inattaching the traces, still it is adapted for otheruses in connectionwith single and double trees. For example, it may be connected with thecenter of a singletree b, as shown in Fig. 7, and used as a coupling toconnect the singletree with an eye 00 at the end of a draft-bar a.

I desire it to be understood that no claim alone is made to agravity-pawl, becauseit has been proposed to provide a device'witha hookhaving a slotted shank adapted for the reception of a gravity-pawl; butthe'cost of such a device has been found to be ex'cessive and the shankweakened and subject to accidental breakage by the cutting away orremoval of the metal therefrom; A device em bodying the features of myinvention and arranged as hereinbefore described is simpler, and theshank of the hook, being solid, is much stronger, far less expensive,and much more durable. acter'hereinabovementioned is'a receptacle formud, snow, ice, and other extraneous'matter, which impairs andmaterially interferes with the free working of the gravity-pawl thereof,while, on the contrary, the hook, with its gravity-pawl, of my inventionis afforded Ia perfect freedom of motion at all times and j under allconditions.

WVhen the singletree b is attached to a draft- Having thus described thenature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with whiffletrees and j a draft-bar, of a detachablecoupling comprising a rectangular cap fitted over the end of thedraft-bar and havinga transversely-ranging slotted socket, a rectangularbushing having an inclined bore for the reception of the singletree andadapted to play on the cap, a draft-chain eye projecting from the rearof the bushing, and a pintle connected withthe shank of said eye andprovided with" a lug, substantially as and for the purposes set'forth.

2. The combination, with whiffletrees and a draft-bar, of adetaehable'coupling'compris ing a cap fitted over the end of thedraft-bar and having a transversely-ranging slotted socket, a bushingfor the reception of the singletree and adapted to play on the cap, adraft-chain eye projecting from't'he rear of the bushing, and a pintl'econnected with the shank of said eye and provided with a' lug,substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in whiffletrees and a draft-bar, of a detachablecoupling comprising a cap fitted over the end of the draft-bar andhaving a transversely-ranging slotted Moreover, a hook of the char-- inr I socket,a bushing for the reception of a singletree and adapted toplay on the cap, a draftchain eye projecting from the rear of thebushing, a pintle connected with the shank of the eye and provided witha lug, a hook attached to the respective extremities of the whiflietreesand formed with a shank and bill, a weighted pawl pivotally connectedwith the side of the shank beneath the point of the bill, a latchintegralwith the pawl and adapted in a vertical position to stand to oneside of the bill and across the open end of the hook and also to beturned away from the SAMUEL H. HAAS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS M. SMITH, RICHARD 0. MAXWELL.

